


It Takes A Circus To Raise A Child

by Athenaash



Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: (off screen), (super vague), (they're not in love they just have a co parenting relationship over the kid they kidnapped), Birthday Party, Circus Of The Other (The Magnus Archives), Dad Danny Stoker, Domestic Fluff, Fluffy Ending, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Kidfic, Kidnapping, Light Angst, Mother Nikola Orsinov, Mother-Son Relationship, Murder, Nicely., Tma s3 spoilers, but like., non-graphic body horror
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-02
Updated: 2020-10-02
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:27:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26762803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Athenaash/pseuds/Athenaash
Summary: Sometimes a family was a circus, manifestation of fears, and the child they kidnapped; and that’s ok.
Relationships: Nikola Orsinov & Danny Stoker, Nikola Orsinov & Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist, Nikola Orsinov & Original Child Character(s)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 56





	It Takes A Circus To Raise A Child

With a sigh, Nikola pulled her coat across her form. Currently, she was wearing the skin of a woman named Chloe, and she had to keep up appearances of acting somewhat human-and that meant acting cold in the month of February-if she wanted a _particular_ relic of The Stranger, which should be fairly easy to acquire… _if_ she didn’t get distracted while looking for it, which happened to be something she was _adept_ at.

Nikola may be the favored avatar of I Do Not Know You, but that didn’t mean she was  _ perfect _ ! Clicking open Chloe’s purse, Nikola found a pack of gum, and the skin around her lips ticked down in a frown. She hated gum, it always got stuck in her teeth, and she was never able to  _ taste _ it, so it just became uncomfortable, and  _ quite _ a nuisance.

Distracted by rifling through Chloe’s purse, Nikola bumped into something, without a second thought, she picked the thing up. When it let out a loud squeak, she realized the thing was a little boy. The frown she had on before, clicked into a smile, and she tucked the small boy under her arm, and ignored his violent protests. 

A few blocks away were Breeken and Hope, with a van to transport the relic Nikola was  _ supposed _ to get, but instead, she found a child, and she thought that was a fair trade off! And it’s not like she couldn’t send one of the clowns later! It wasn’t until the van was in sight she noticed that the child stopped complaining, and started trying to get out of her grip. Which he couldn’t, joints made of steel were hard to budge, but she commended him for his effort! 

She told him this much, and he sighed, and stopped squirming. “Are you gonna eat me?” he sounded so resigned to his supposed fate, Nikola’s (absent) heart ached. Cuz you’re a monster, right? And monsters eat little kids like me-even though I’m not that little, everyone says I am,”

Without a break in her stride, Nikola responded, “Of course not silly! Though, I might have to give you to one of my monster friends to  _ gobble you up _ !” The jolt of fear that she felt from the boy made her… sad? Somewhat. Maybe she didn’t like scaring children, their fears  _ were _ less developed after all. 

Nikola wasn’t sure why she took the kid until right then. If she was able to shelter the child until he was an adult, his fear of The Stranger  _ should _ be  _ much _ more intense than anything she’s ever seen before! A lurch of excitement went through her body, and she smiled wider, face splitting nearly in half, opening the van door. 

She grabbed him by his coat collar (which really was a dirty thing!), and lifted him into her van with a beaming smile, he scrambled to the corner in the back, which made her heart clench. “We’ll get to your new home soon enough! Sit tight, ok? Breeken? Hope? I picked up this boy! Take us to the Museum! Oh this will be  _ such  _ fun!”

The kid was silent, his fear coming off of him in waves, something Nikola did  _ not _ appreciate in the slightest! Whenever she smiled at him, all he did was curl into his seat more, and she wasn’t _ quite _ sure how to make the boy happy… maybe she should get a parenting book! While she was musing on what the boy needed, it struck her that she didn’t know his name! When she asked for it, he mumbled something she couldn’t hear. She asked again, and with a shaky voice, she heard the response, “Uhm… Benjamin, or uh. Ben…”

Nikola clapped her hands together in delight, “What a cute name for a cute boy like yourself! My name is Nikola Orsinov, and I’ll be your new caretaker!” Breeken and Hope, to their credit, didn’t act shocked at their boss’ new agenda. “It is  _ dreadfully _ late, what kind of parents would let their child wander out like this?!” Ben shrugged, a frown playing on his face. A small jolt of anger ran through the clown, what kind of parent  _ would _ do that?

Pushing down emerging memories of Before, Nikola let the tension slide out of her body, she had to make a good impression on the boy after all! Which reminded her…

Sliding out of Chloe’s skin, she heard a gasp from the other side of the van, and she turned to Ben, “I’m sorry! It’s my face, isn’t it? The whole look can be  _ quite _ unnerving for some, but don’t fret! As soon as we get to your new home, I’ll put my face on! I had to wear Chloe here because…-” She clasped her hands over her mouth was with a small  _ click _ of her joints. 

“Breeken! Hope! I forgot about the relic!” 

The two chimed in, starting a conversation between themselves that was impossible to break in to, “Yes” “We assumed,” “We will send Danny later?” “Hmm, yes, yes, Elena instead?” their talk ended with a few nods traded back and forth.

The clown rolled her eyes- or at least, tried to. “So! Benjamin,” he near flinched at his name, and Nikola decided to work on his fear of her, later! “What toys do you want? I’m  _ sure _ we could ask The Stranger for dolls! Or even find those relics in the steam trunk for you!” She clapped her hands together, with a smile stretched across her face. “Oh! And allergies and the like for you, ok?”

Ben studied his hands, face set in a cold and blank expression, maybe Nikola came on too strong? She pondered over her next words before Ben spoke up quietly, “are you still gonna feed me to your friend?”

…  _ Oh _ !  _ That’s _ why he was still scared! When she reached out to pinch the boy’s cheek, he flinched away, of course, she redrew her hand, but not without a shot of disappointment going through her body, “I think I might keep you instead! You’re  _ too _ cute to pass up!”

She saw an internal debate go on in the boy’s eyes, before Ben hunched over, and leaned back against the van wall, face set into an expression Nikola couldn’t place.

* * *

Nikola frowned, looking up and down at the decorations. Ben’s birthday was coming up, and everything had to be  _ perfect _ ! Knowing his parents, they likely never celebrated his birthday, so she had to make it the best! She spun around to the pair of mannequins behind her, and her face contorted into a scowl, “Where are your guy’s outfits?! Hurry up! Ben should wake up any second, and we need to be ready for the routine!” 

She covered her eyes with a huff of breath when Danny skipped up to her with his stiff movements,  _ knowing _ what he said would  _ not _ be good news, “Miss Orsinov! We finished the cake!” Huh, Nikola was pleasantly surprised! She knew that it was a good idea to keep Dann-- “But…”  _ Oh no _ , “We might have started a small fire in the kitchen!”

“ _ What? _ How hard can baking  _ be _ ?!” Nikola carted her hands through her wig (it was Ben’s favorite one!), “Is the cake…  _ salvageable _ ?” With a pause, and a disappointed shake of her dancer’s head, the ringmaster felt the  _ intense _ need to rip her hair out.

This day seemed destined to be horrible. First, Breeken and Hope were stuck in a situation with hunters,  _ while _ they both had Ben’s present (a bright red calliope, and a quite  _ unnerving _ board game from Jude Perry who really does love Ben, and the decorations are all  _ wrong _ ,  _ and now _ … the cake! If Nikola was able to cry, frustrated tears would be falling down her face.

And  _ of course, _ this would be the time for her lovely Ben to walk down from his room! When Nikola spun around, smoke sliding out from the kitchen with a  _ horrid _ scent, with crooked and ruined decorations littering the family room. She rushed towards him, in a smile that was just a  _ little _ too wide, which of course, Ben was used too. “How’s my birthday boy!?” 

“What… what’s going on mom?” He’s been calling Nikola mom for around four months now, but it always made her heart swell when those syllables made their way out of her son’s mouth.

“Well! We were…  _ trying _ to give you a very good birthday party! And well… we didn’t know your  _ actual _ birthday, but we did set this up so that it has been a whole year since you moved in with us!” Her smile grew a little softer, and her hand reached out to cup Ben’s cheek, “And isn’t  _ that _ something to celebrate?” 

The boy rubbed his arm, and flapped his arms a few times, before a smile broke out on his face, “I think so! So… how old am I then?” 

Nikola paused. She never really thought about age much, and she has been so disconnected with humans, that she really had  _ no clue _ how old a young one should be! “... twenty is young… right?” With her son’s snicker, she knew she was way off. “Well then! You tell me, if you know  _ oh so much _ about human age, ok?” 

He tapped his feet against the ground in a rhythm that was hard to keep up with, before snapping his fingers with a brighter smile, “How about nine? I was eight when you got me, so I should be nine now!”

“That seems way too young! But I believe you! Nine it is!” Nikola nodded, “Ah… about your gifts…” He brightened up at the mention, and her face pulled into a frown with a  _ click _ “Your uncles, Breeken and Hope, sadly, have gotten… caught up in a situation. From what I gather, they should be back home  _ very _ soon! So please don’t worry!”

Ben just shrugged, “It’s ok if not, I get it! Is something on fire?”

Nikola nodded, “Yes! Uncle Danny set the kitchen on fire! As long as you stay three feet away, you can look at it! Ok?” When Ben nodded, she picked him up, and took long strides in the direction of the kitchen. It wasn’t as big as she thought Ben was hoping for, but he looked happy enough watching the flames. “My little desolation avatar, isn’t that right?” 

He shrugged, but didn’t take his eyes off the flicking flames, before Danny came back, fire extinguisher in hand. He apologized to Ben, before spraying it down, “Don’t think we can afford to find another place without agents of The Beholding catching onto us, sorry again bud!” He tossled the kid’s hair, “I heard you and your mom talking though, you're  _ nine _ ?! That’s pretty old,”

Ben let out a giggle, and tucked himself closer in Nikola arms, which made her non-existent heart swell with pride, “Mhm!”

Nikola looked at Danny, “Send a clown to the supermarket down the road, so we can get our birthday boy a cake!” She felt him smile against her arm, and she remembered she was trying to teach the boy how to use his manners correctly, “Please? I know that Elena just got paid, too,” Elena was one of the few that still had a complete human body, and that meant she was one of the ones most suited to work. Apparently, caring for a child was  _ quite _ expensive!

Danny shot her a thumbs up, and carted his fingers through Ben’s hair one more time before smiling and walking off. Setting down Ben, Nikola started trying to figure out what to do with him. They couldn’t  _ really _ leave their home, at least, not together! But since all their…  _ plans _ were quite literally either miles away, ruined, or on fire, that didn’t seem  _ quite _ possible.

She followed Ben, as he walked to their cupboard, where they kept an assortment of things… really anything that didn’t already have a place somewhere else. When he pulled out a board game, she smiled, and took it from his hands, “I’ll set up! … not in the kitchen.” And that’s what they did for a few hours, cycling through board games until Breeken, Hope, and Jude arrived, three hours later.

As soon Jude set her bag down, Ben launched himself at his aunt, tangling himself in her legs. Of course, Jude picked him up, and spun the boy around. And Nikola spoke up, “I see Jane couldn’t make it? She’s still caught up with agents of the eye?” With her friend’s nod, Ben’s face fell, which Jude was quick to pinch and pull up, after kneeling in front of him.

“Oh don’t even little man! Jude’s here and I’m so much cooler than that weird bug lady, ain’t that right Nikola?”

When Nikola nodded, a little too enthusiastically with a crack of her neck, Jude’s face twisted into a light look of disgust, which the clown readily ignored! Today was going to be a good day, and a good day only! “Got any cake?” She said, standing up, and nodding over to Breeken and Hope, “I got promised by these dweebs,” 

There was a quick bustle around the kitchen, as presents and the cakes were set up. Quickly, the Circus was surrounding the table, a good 50 people - and non-humans - piled around Benjamin, for a picture. The chorus of 50, or more, people singing happy birthday was nearly deafening, but the smile on Ben’s face made up for any discomfort Nikola felt.

* * *

Nikola clicked off the tape recorder, a smile splitting her face as she looked at The Archivist.  _ God _ it really would be so much better if she didn’t have to bring him to her  _ home _ ! “We’ll send these to your  _ Elias _ right away, not that they’ll  _ ever _ find yo-” 

Nikola was cut off with a tentative “M-mom? What’s he doing here...?” from Benjamin, she froze, and dug her fingers into The Archivist's-who decided it would be a good idea to let out a few shocked noises-shoulders from behind, spinning him around. “Oh. The Archivist guy… I heard Jude talking about him…”

“Very good Ben! This-” Nikola pinched his face into a smile, “-skin here, is what  _ I’m _ going to wear for The  _ Great _ Unknowing!” A sharp laugh slipped out of her mouth, and Jonathan flinched away from her, his fear peaking her up, like an afternoon snack!

“ _ If _ you just became an avatar-of I Don’t Know You- with me, then we could get the skin of that silly friend of yours! … Sarah, her name was I believe!” Ben rolled his eyes, “And  _ yes _ I know you don’t want me to mess with your friends, but I think they’d all look amazing on you!” He only had a few friends, but  _ honestly _ ? The circus should be more than enough for him! She scoffed.

A beeper went off from Benjamin’s wrist, and she jolted, “Oh! It’s dinnertime!” soon after Ben moved in with them, they all realized they needed to have a set time to make him food, due to the fact that none of the others were human enough to need to eat as much as a growing boy did! So, an alarm clock attached to his wrist was a fun solution! “Pelmeni sound good, dear? It should only take 10 minutes or so, I’ve already made the dough and filling! And since you’re  _ oh so boring _ I’ll just use regular old beef!” 

Benjamin beamed, and nodded up and down, and he turned to Jonathan, “Is that ok with you? They’re dumplings, and she won’t use human meat, because I don’t like it,” The Archivist froze, fear on his face, right as Nikola left the room to cook their dinner, “Oh right… don’t worry, only Elena likes the human stuff, because she was touched by The Flesh and stuff like that… oh!” Ben reached over to take the tape of his mouth (which he did, but he spent a few moments trying to get it off his hands, duct tape was strong for a 10 year old!)

Jonathan looked up to him with wide eyes, “Kid,” ( _ ‘it’s Ben’ _ ) “Ben… Look, if-  _ when _ I get away, you can come with me too, I-” he looked frantic, and Ben just looked confused, “I-I can take you back to your family, or find you a new one kid- Ben, it’ll be ok, you’ll be safe,”

“Not if you take me back to my real mom and dad…” Benjamin fiddled with his hands, turning over what Jonathan was trying to convey on his head, “Oh! Ooooh… Mom doesn’t hurt me, if that’s what you mean! And neither does the rest of the circus!” He flapped his arms, “I mean… I did get hurt when I tripped over Mr Alexi’s fire eating stuff the other day! And I hit my head bad! But Elena called the uhm… the one with the 9’s and then I was ok!”

“She… she called 999? And got you medical help…?” Ben nodded, with a smile on his face, “Huh.  _ Huh _ ,”

Nikola poked her head out from the kitchen, a frown pulling down on her mouth, “Well! Archivist! Why wouldn’t I?!” Her face morphed into one of confusion, “Oh! It’s your ‘ _ All avatars are evil _ ’ thing? Honestly Archivist! We do have  _ some _ limits!” Her sharp giggle cut through the air.

“I-” Jonathan sighed, and his head drooped, “Yeah alright, that- that’s good?”

* * *

Ben noticed his mother’s frantic packing, her new skin nearly melting off her body. She was frayed, and panicked, and she snapped at him, something she never did, “I  _ said _ go get your belongings  _ Benjamin _ , we’re leaving,”

He was confused! Of course he was! Ben couldn’t hear the rest of the Circus’ buzzing from downstairs, and today was supposed to be the day she completed their ritual! Maybe the stupid Jon guy did what he said he was gonna… Ben scrubbed at his eyes, trying to be strong for his mom! Mom was always strong for him… so he gotta be now!

He heard the door slam open, and steps slamming up the stairs, when Danny threw open Ben’s door, he sighed in relief, “Kid! God kid- you’re safe...- Uh, shit, I’ll pack for you, go to Nik and make sure she grabs all our valuables, and your passport, ok?” 

Ben paused, confused, “Are we going somewhere?” the look that Danny shot him shut Benjamin up fast, and he booked it to the kitchen, where his mother was almost finished with taking out everything from the bottom of the sink, they had a fake wall at the back, where they held all The Stranger’s relics! It was so cool. He shook his head when he started reaching out for a bright yellow theatre mask, knowing his mom never let him touch the relics.

“Uh… Danny said that you need to grab my passport…” his mom jumped, and hit his head against the ceiling of the cabinet under the sink. “Sorry,”

“Not your fault! Hm! I do think your passport will be in my room, the lockbox! Bring the whole thing, please,” Danny and his moms ‘rooms’ weren’t  _ really _ rooms, Danny’s doesn’t even have a bed! A warm smile made its way onto Ben’s face, as he thought of his family.

But he wasn’t dumb. Ben could figure out what happened to the rest of them, easily. He just couldn’t think about it right now! So, he was gonna put on a smile, and make sure that his mom and Danny were happy and ok! Retrieving his mom’s lockbox was a quick affair, so he was kinda shocked when he saw Danny downstairs with all of his stuff.

“Good boy, love!” His mom said, as she tugged the box out of his hands, and turned to Danny, a stern look on her face, something that made Benjamin uneasy, “Let’s go, I’m not sure if The Archives knows where our home is,”

Ben was picked up by Danny without a warning - something he was used to after living with the Circus for three years - and he was set into their car. The ride to the airport was tense, the only noise cutting through the air was the sound of Ben softly humming, trying to chase away the thoughts and memories of his lost family. 

* * *

Nikola kissed her son’s head with a smile, as they stood outside their small home in Plyos, Russia. “Welcome to our new home, Benjamin,” 


End file.
